


Mountain Sound

by DonleyDaKing, PeregrineWilliams



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: F/M, Resbang2016, SoMa - Freeform, Soul Eater - Freeform, resbang, soulxmaka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 09:33:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 22,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9315674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DonleyDaKing/pseuds/DonleyDaKing, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeregrineWilliams/pseuds/PeregrineWilliams
Summary: The winter was harsh, and Maka needed to find food for her tribe. Trogs and other dangers waited for her, but the worst was yet to come. She was nowhere near ready.





	1. Chapter 1

This winter was going to be a devastating one. Maka could feel it in her bones and see it in the nature around her. The bears had gone into and early hibernation, and the squirrels were stocking up twice as much on the nuts throughout the forest then they usually did. The tribal leader sensed it as well, and he sent everyone out to get ready for the winter. Maka trekked through the narrow passageways of the mountain, dexterously working her way around the dangerous slopes and rockslides. Even with almost all of her furs and her warmest moccasins on, the chilling air was beginning to get to her, and if she didn’t hurry, it would soon be dark. She needed to find some food to hunt, and quickly.

She pushed further to the caves, hoping to find a moose or perhaps some northern elk. Lucky her, not 20 yards away, stood a large brood of a moose. She crouched low and moved slowly to the brush, steadying her bow and aiming for its massive chest. Before she could let go of the bowstring, the beast jerked its head to the right and froze. _There was something over there._ The creature took off, leaving Maka alone with no food, at almost sunset. “Now what am I to do? If I return to the tribe without more food for the winter… I don’t think-no. I know we won’t survive.” She looked to the sky, seeking to the spirits for help. What should she do? It was starting to get dark and she needed to find something, but her prize had been scared off. _By whatever is over… there._ She slowly trudged through the ever-darkening forest, towards the object of her lost prize's attention… _and fear._ The closer she came, the clearer the space became. She could make out an opening of some sort; a cave? She kept her bow in hand, swallowing her fears and entering the cave.

She let her eyes adjust to the sheer layer of darkness looming over the cave. Her eyes scanned for any movement, ready to attack if needed. _There._ She whirled to her left, her bow readied. What she thought to be a bear or maybe some terrible beast of the mountains, was a man. A tall, red eyed, snowy haired man. “Ay, Smaik, what are you doing in my cave?” His crimson eyes peered through her, worsening the chill the mountain air gave her. “Well? Are you going to answer or not, ye Smaik? Can ye not speak at’ll?”

“Smaik?” Her curiosity of the man had distracted her. She shouldn’t be wasting so much time here. The creatures of the mountains come out in the dark, and it was already coming too close to nightfall for comfort.

“And she speaks alas!” He threw his hands in the air in an exaggerated motion, vexing Maka further. “A puny girl like ye shouldn’t be up here so late. The trogs’ll get ye.”

“Trogs?” _What is he speaking of? Is that what they called the monsters of the mountains? Trogs?_

“Do ye know nothin’?” His face was in hers, his scowl etched onto his face like a carving.

“Excuse me?! You have no right to say such things! Why, you’re a man who can barely speak worth a damn himself!” Her voice carried through the cave, blaring back at them both. “Prigs like you should be roped and fed to the dogs like the terrible things you are!” His eyes narrowed, the scowl on his features only deepening. She seemed to have hit a nerve. _Good._

“Prig, huh? That the best ye can do, Smaik? You’re lucky I haven’t gutted ye yet!” Maka was furious.

 _What the hell is a Smaik, anyway?! It sounds ridiculous!_ “I’d like to see you try, old man!”

The caveman raised a brow, scowl replaced by shock. “Old… man?”

Maka began to grow impatient. “You have white hair, don’t you?” She gave him another look over. Even in the dark, she could see his odd features, but she could also see that despite his shimmering hair, he looked quite young around the body and face. He couldn’t have been any older than sometime in his second marking.

His sigh took her attention back away from his queer appearance. “I suppose I don’t look twenty- five, but-”

She hadn’t meant to interrupt him; she was just intrigued by the strange tongue he was speaking in. “Twennifive? What… is that?”

Her question seemed to peek his interest as well, “Do ye not use the numerical system to represent yer age?” She stopped to think. She had never heard anyone in her tribe speak of this ‘numerical system’ before. They used the spirits to determine the age groups; every 120 moons after a child is born, the spirits would mark the tribal member to commend them on reaching a new marking in life.

“The spirits mark us every 120 moons after our birth,” she pulled up her fur sleeve, revealing her 2 markings on her forearm. “I am 48 moons into my second marking.” The man stood still for a moment, staring unconsciously at her markings. His red, blood-like eyes mesmerized her. _If his eyes are this alluring, he must be a demon of some kind!_ Maka quickly yanked her sleeved back down and thwacked him on the head. “Stop staring, Prig! It’s rude!”

The man fell back, rubbing his now aching head. “ _I’m_ rude?! Yer the one who just hit me!” He stood back up, marching closer until his seething rage was being spat in her face. Literally. “N’ stop callin’ me _Prig, Smaik_. That’s not my name.”

“Oh, really?” She gave him a smug smile and tapped his nose. “And do you really suppose my name is Smaik?” He flinched back and the grimace returned. “Maka,” she held her hand out to him, “my name is Maka.”

He cautiously took her hand, shaking it slowly as he eyed her skeptically. “Soul.” She turned her head to the side, eying him conspicuously. “That’s… my name. Soul.” He pulled his hand back and listened to her test it out. He wouldn’t admit to himself, but he liked the way his name rolled off her tongue. Maka’s voice had a way about it… he liked everything when she said it. It had its own melody, like a wolf in the distance. _Yeah… like a wolf._

“Well, _Soul._ Seeing as you chased off my moose and distracted me ‘til far past dark, how about you let me stay in your cave for the night?” Soul was about to protest, but she beat him to it. “Or I could just kill you seeing as you have put my entire tribe in danger.” Her smile was sickeningly innocent; enough so that he didn’t dare argue with her.

Soul slouched further than he had before, only to turn around and start heading further in the cave. “Are ye comin’, Smaik?”

Maka could only groan. _This guy is a serious pain._ “I told you, _Prig_ ,” her voice was oozing with disdain, “my name is Maka.”

“Eh. I like Smaik. Besides,” He turned to face her, crimson eyes still glistening in the dark, “this is my cave. And yer forcing me to let ye stay.” He continued ahead once more, beckoning her deeper into the cave. “Although, ye have yer warning. Even I know not of yer fate in the mornin’.”

Maka halted, stuck in place as he lit up the torches in the farthest part of the cave, revealing a cluttered mess of foreign objects, and many rooms in this complex cave. _What did he mean by that? Is he not alone?_

“Ay, Smaik!” Maka jerked her head over to Soul, who was currently making her a place to sleep on the ground with his spare furs. “Ye shouldn’t ignore others when they speak to ye; they’ll think ye rude.”

 _Who does he think he is; scolding me like a child?!_ “And you should not treat others with disrespect; ‘they’ll think ye rude.’” She lowered her tone to match his, watching his brows furrow in anger.

“Are ye mocking me?” _This woman is unbelievable!_ Soul couldn’t understand her. From what he has seen, she is just some tribal girl with a decent education and a very short temper. _She is like nothing I have ever seen before._ “Never mind it. Just get to sleep; you’ll have an early mornin’.” _Earlier than you’d like._

If he didn’t seem like he was actually helping her, Maka would’ve considered Soul to be high-strung mountain scum. After all, his manners were atrocious and his hospitality was lacking greatly, but there was something more to him than that. _But what? What could this man be hiding beneath the surface?_

She curled up beneath the nest of furs and watched as Soul put out the torches, walking further into the darkness of the cave.


	2. Chapter 2

Morning came with a bristling wind through the cave, reminding Maka of her misfortunes the night before. She dragged herself out of her nest with an uneasy feeling that she couldn’t shake. _The air has changed… Something is wrong._ She hurriedly gathered her things, readying herself to leave the caves, but something made her freeze. _Do I smell… blood?_ Maka had become accustomed to this smell over time, familiar to the pungent scent of iron and death. But where was it coming from? She crept through the cave inching closer and closer to the opening, where another creature was waiting for her.

A burly wolf approached from the entrance of the cave. Its fur was white like snow and its eyes were red; red like the blood dripping from its bared fangs. _Where is Soul? Surely the blood is not his… is it?_ Maka’s eyes suddenly grew wide. She knew she had to do something. She knew she had to move, but she couldn’t. _Why can’t I move my feet? Why can’t I raise my bow? This beast will kill me. I am going to die._

__

 

 

 

Before she could move, the wolf lunged towards her, eyes beaming with blood-lust. She closed her eyes, accepting her death, but it never came. Her eyes opened to the sound of tearing flesh and a horrifying screeching sound. Behind her, the wolf was ripping apart one of those _things_ that lives in the mountains. The creature continued to scream, it’s lanky and pale limb being shredded by the wolf’s teeth. _Now is my chance… I have to run._

Maka quickly turned around and ran. She blindly ran into the raging blizzard, past unfamiliar trees and landforms until she couldn’t breathe. “Great…” Her surroundings were completely new; the air harsh and chilling to the bone. “Now I am lost in the midst of a blizzard with no food or water. What am I to do now?” She looked around hoping to find something that could indicate where she was, only to be blinded by the thick layer of snow. There was a startling noise, but where did it come from? Maka couldn’t see anything but white. _And two red eyes directly in front of her._

This time, she didn’t hesitate to raise her bow. _Something is off._ The wolf didn’t budge; it only stared at her. Still, she didn’t dare lower her weapon. Maka wished she could say she didn’t feel fear at this moment, but her shaking knees and trembling arms told a different story. Her mind was racing. _At this distance, I shouldn’t miss… but this is no ordinary wolf. It is judging my every move, but doing nothing. It’s just standing there._ The two stared for what seemed like an eternity, neither one daring to move.

“You know, if you’re trying to gain the trust of a human, this seems to be the best way to do it. Now go on, beast. I have to get back to my village by sundown, and it’s quite a way down the mountain.” She turned from the white wolf and started on her way, but the crunching of snow behind her made her come to a halt. Sure enough, the beast started to follow her. “Great. A stubborn wolf.” She continued on her way down the mountain.

**_Crunch. Crunch. Crunch._ **

The wolf followed. _Hopefully, this beast doesn’t decide to turn on me. At night, it will have the advantage. I best hurry._ The further they walked, the colder it became. Soon, it would be dark, and Maka would be alone in the mountains. Her fears would have to wait for now. It was getting darker by the second, and she needed to find some sort of shelter, or at least somewhere to build a fire. The wolf howled, drawing Maka’s attention. As if it had read her mind, it led her gaze over to a small ledge. There was just enough coverage to keep them concealed for the night.

As she began to build a fire, Maka wondered what happened to the _Prig_ from the caves. His body never showed up, and the wolf didn’t seem to have any interest in attacking humans. _So where could he have gone?_ Her thoughts ran back and forth until fatigue began to take its toll. She curled up close to the fire, but it wasn’t enough. If only she’d kept those furs from the caves; but it was too late to turn back now. IT would be far too dangerous, even with her new companion. _Her new companion._

“Aye, wolf.” The wolf’s ears twitched, but it did not move. She called for the wolf again only to get the same response.  “Maybe if I say please…” With that, the wolf sat up. It cocked its head to the side expectantly. _This little bastard._ “Would you please come here? You may be a wolf but even you can freeze in a storm like this.” The wolf pulled itself up from the ground and stalked over to Maka. It lazily plopped down next to her, letting her nuzzle into its white fur. It wasn’t long until she fell asleep.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Soul woke up freezing, wrapped around the little blonde _Smaik_ from before. And, of course, he wasn’t wearing clothes. From what he could tell, the blizzard had died down during the night; and it wouldn’t be sunrise for another few hours. He could still head back to his caves. Part of him wanted to, but something about this girl stopped him from going back. She intrigued him. _Why am I so interested in this native girl?_ He continued to think but he couldn’t put his finger on it.  His thoughts were too jumbled.

Maybe that’s why he didn’t notice said girl’s eyes opening. Before he could see what happened, his brain felt like it was exploding into a thousand jumbled pieces. “What the hell, Smaik?!” Maka had backed away, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. _Why is she looking at me like that?_ He looked down as another strong breeze chilled him to the bone. _Oh._ He had forgotten one important thing; he was naked. VERY naked. Instead of freaking out and covering himself, he did what any cool, mature guy would do. “What? Ne’er seen a naked man, before?”

**_Whack._ **

The pain in his skull returned, and a very red faced Maka was glaring daggers at him. “Where did you come from? What happened back in the cave? And what happened to the wolf?” Soul had no clue how he was going to answer her questions. There wasn’t exactly an easy answer to give. What was he supposed to say? _Oh, I turn into a wolf during the day time because I am cursed._ He decided that he should probably say something before she knocks his skull in with her fist.

“Uh…”

“Well? I am waiting, _Prig._ ” He could almost feel the disdain in her voice. Maybe his best bet would be to run? Naked. In the forest. Where the trogs were. _Okay, new plan. But what the hell am I to tell her?_

“I… was the wolf.” He waited for his head to be split in two for how utterly ridiculous that sounded, but nothing happened. Maka was just staring at him. She seemed to be thinking about something, like she was putting a puzzle together.

“And you didn’t kill me.”

“No… I didn’t.” He hadn’t thought of that. Usually, when he turned he couldn’t control himself. He would attack anything that moved on instinct, but this time was different. Not that he was complaining, but why? What made him, or rather… the beast, tame enough to follow her?

“You don’t remember anything, do you?” Her smooth voice startled him out of his thoughts.

“No. All I know is I woke up next to ye.”

She raised her brow and nearly spat at him. “Naked.”

“Fraid so.” She only sighed and shed herself of her fur coat; throwing it at him harshly.

“Well, Prig. Cover yourself with this until morn.” She sauntered over to the fire and poked at it, the only noise between the two the hissing of the fire and angry screeches of trogs in the distance. Soul watched her movements, entranced by them. “You must have really done something to piss off the spirits.”

He stayed silent; his mistakes and regrets haunting him. This was his punishment for all the pain he caused. For all of the death he was responsible for. _I’m so sorry, Wes._ He had been greedy, hoping to find women and gold in his travels. In the end, all he found was suffering. Somewhere along the way he had made the powers that be angry. His hair faded to white, his eyes became crimson and his teeth molded into sharp fangs. That was only the beginning of his hell. When his senses and cravings changed into something else, something more vicious, he understood what he had done. _I am the reason Wes is gone._

There was no fixing his mistakes, or reversing this curse. His actions had caused this torment, and he was to live out his days with it. He had gotten used to being alone, after all. It wasn’t a new concept to him. He would sit in his cave with his treasures and wait. He wondered for so long what he was waiting for. No one would come for him, or make him human again. So, what was it?

It was death. He waited for days, then months, then years, just for death to come. To his despair, it never came. Maybe that’s why he is so interested in this girl. He spent so much time accepting loneliness and seclusion, then some girl wandered into his caves.  Maybe… just maybe… she was his second chance.

He looked back over to her; she was sleeping soundly by the fire, every once in while grimacing from the bitter bite of the cold mountain air. He came to the conclusion that he didn’t like when she grimaced. She looked too stern. He realized that he had not seen her have a genuine smile on her face, only crooked grins when she mocked him.

The sun began to rise in the distance, and Soul could feel humanity slipping away. Maka was awakened by his cries, secretly watching from her spot by the fire. He was in too much pain to see that she was no longer sleeping. She watched as his nails grew into sharp claws and his body became covered in a thick coat of white fur. She flinched at each scream from the cracking of bones and the tearing of muscles, desperately wanting to look away but unable to. He was in so much pain and she could do nothing but sit there and watch his body disassemble and reassemble itself.

The screams stopped, and what used to be human was now a large wolf. It pulled itself up from the ground, its red eyes staring at Maka. Slowly, the wolf loitered towards her. She didn’t move or try to stand, letting the wolf come up to her face. It wasn’t until she felt its breath against her wet face that she realized she had been crying. The wolf nuzzled her forehead, his soft fur tickling her nose. “I’m sorry Soul… I didn’t know.” She sobbed in between her words, stroking the soft fur on his head. “I’m so sorry…” She held onto him tightly, hoping there was a part of him that still understood her words. And there was, yet only a sliver of him left inside the beast. He watched each tear fall from her face, wishing he could make them stop. He began to think of his brother, memories of Wes passing through his mind once again. He remembered all the times Wes would find him in their secret spot in the garden and make him feel better after he had been crying. In that moment, that little sliver of his humanity showed through. He pulled back from her embrace and licked away her tears.

_I’m sorry Wes. I’m so sorry._

__


	4. Chapter 4

Soul laid beside Maka as she put out the fire, covering the remnants of anyone ever being there. Every loud or mysterious sound made his ears twitch, but some of them just made him feel plain uneasy. The trogs were starting to stay out earlier and earlier, and they were too far in the mountains for that to be comforting. Maka noticed he was being very cautious. Even as they made their way out of the forest, he was quite jumpy.

She knew talking to him wouldn’t really help, so instead she just scratched behind his ears. At first, Soul was surprised and even jumped a little, so she pulled her hand way. It took him a few seconds, but when she started to scratch his head again he melted into her hand. What she wasn’t expecting was him drooling or his tail to start wagging ferociously. She couldn’t help but laugh a bit, which happened to catch Soul’s attention. “I’m going to guess that you like cuddling.” The way he cocked his head and glared at her made her think that he might actually understand some of what she says. “I wonder if you’ll remember any of this.” The thought of him not remembering anything from the day time made her slightly melancholic. The idea that he had to live this way for so long… It broke her.

 _How can someone live here all alone like this? How didn’t he go mad?_ With each thought came more questions. Questions about him, his past, the wolf; all of it. She planned to ask about it, but she didn’t know how to word it, exactly. She could tell that thinking about it made him upset just by the events of the other night, but she was curious. He was an enigma to her. She had heard stories of people that could change into other animals, but she had never seen it before. Her father had told her stories of these people and told her that her mother had been one of them. He told her that some were blessed with it, and others were cursed for their crimes. From what she could tell, Soul wasn’t exactly blessed.

She could still hear his screams in her head. They just kept swimming through her mind like fish in a pond, going round and round. She hated that he had to go through that pain every night. He had to go through that all alone without anyone to be there for him when the pain was gone. _But is it ever gone? Or… does he feel that pain every day?_ As they reached the end of the forest, Maka was able to see her village just down the valley. It was quieter than usual, though. She didn’t hear her people’s songs and voices on the wind, she couldn’t see smoke rising from any of the tents, she couldn’t even feel a sense of life coming from that direction. It was as if there was nothing there at all, not even nature. _Something is wrong._

Suddenly, Maka couldn’t breathe or even think. She just started running down the valley, hoping to hear something, hoping her gut was wrong. But it wasn’t. She bolted into the village, surrounded by the stench of death and rotting flesh. The only thing she could do was panic and scream. “Is anyone there?” No answer. “Please! Tell me someone is alive!” She ran throughout the village, jumping over dismembered and rotting bodies, sickened by the rats that had made this massacre their home. _What happened here? Why are they all dead? I should have been here. It’s all my fault… It’s all my fault._ She was too lost in thought, too shocked to catch herself when she tripped. Under her, was the body of a child. It was a child she knew, her short brown hair and her wide, once beaming brown eyes a familiarity to Maka.

It was Angela. The poor child had been torn apart. Not far from her was Masamune, the village warrior. He was dead too, limbs missing and eyes lifeless.

Soul stood next to Maka, not daring to leave her side as she cried. He was cautious of their surroundings though, knowing that whatever did this was not far. A deafening screech sounded from behind them, and Soul whipped around to see a trog coming their way. He bared his teeth, readying himself to fight, but the trog ran right past him and straight for Maka. Maka barely had enough time to pull out her bow before it was on her. Its sharp claws dug into her shoulder as it tried to rip into her with its teeth. Soul pounced on it before it could, digging his fangs into its jugular. It fell to the ground with a loud screech and a thud.

Maka slowly got up, careful of her shoulder. Soul was quickly by her side, letting her use him to steady herself. She stumbled over to the monster, observing its odd features. Its eyes were similar to Soul’s, but they were bloodshot and bulging. Its skin looked almost as if it were rotting off; loose and yellow. The limbs were lanky and disproportionate, and it only had a few strands and patches of hair left on its head. What really caught her attention was the locket hanging from its neck. _This thing was human._


	5. Chapter 5

_How does a human turn into something like that?_ She hadn’t moved from her spot for a while, and Soul was getting restless. He didn’t want her to stay here with all of the bodies of her friends and family, but he couldn’t speak to her. Not like this, at least. The best he could think to do was to nudge her with his nose. At least it did something; she had laid her hand on his back and stroked his fur. _This is dumb, Soul. She isn’t gonna feel better just because some freakish wolf comes up to her and acknowledges her._

"We should burn them." He looked her in her eyes, seeing the despair she was desperately trying to hide. "They can't be left to rot... not like this." Maka stood up silently, exhaustion writhing through her body.  "I... I have to burn them." Soul could only watch her as she wrapped each body, carrying them to the center of the village where she lined them up in rows. It took all day and she never once stopped to eat or even sleep. She just continued to pick up more bodies and carry them.

With each body, Maka could feel herself growing more and more weary. The weight of each child, each friend... it was consuming her. She could feel Soul's cautious stare on her back, "Heh. If only you could've met them, Soul. I'm sure you wou..." And with that, everything faded to black. The last thing in her sight was Soul running towards her.

It had already turned pitch black outside and Maka still hadn't woken up. Soul was beginning to worry. It had been hours since she had collapsed, and he could still feel the throbbing panic going through his veins. Being human had made it a lot easier to bring her inside some shelter and start a fire, but he still felt useless. She was cold and still, if he couldn't see her breathing he'd think she was dead."Ye sure do cause me a lot of trouble, Smaik." He brushed back her bangs, grimacing at the sweat coating her forehead.  "N' now ye got yerself a fever. What the hell am I to do now..."

Maka groaned, her whole body was aching. She couldn't move her lips let alone her body, but she could hear Soul murmuring something. _Or... no. He is humming._ She tried to listen to the unfamiliar tune of the song, it's sadness and pain adamant throughout it. She managed to free a few words "Such a beautiful sound..."

Soul stopped humming and darted his attention to Maka.  _What... did she say?_ He watched her content expression waver as she groaned in pain once more. "Stupid Smaik, what do you know?" The fire sizzled and popped in the new-found silence, a tune forming itself around the white noise in his head. Little pings and pangs of the piano mixed together to form a melody; something dark and mysterious as always. _I wonder how she would feel if I played for her. If she could hear what I was really like through the piano. Would she be scared?_ There were so many fears Soul hid behind his cold mask. Truly, this was the first time in a long time he wasn't alone. The first time he could be relied on by someone. It was exhilarating. He felt like his mind was clearing away all of the lonesome torment.

He knew that soon the sun would be rising and he wouldn't be able to help Maka once he was a wolf again, so he had to go get supplies. The only real problem was the smell of the blood. The massacre of Maka's people had left the land stained with blood, calling to the trogs. Part of him, the animalistic part, wanted to tear anything he found to shreds for what happened to these people. The other part, the human part, wanted to stay where it was safe. But, if he did that, there would be a strong chance that Maka could get worse. _I have to go. And now is the only time I can do it. As a human, I may be weaker but I can think with logic, not just instincts._

Maka's bow caught his eye from the corner. It was old and far from in the best shape, but it was well crafted with the same intricate details as the tattoos on her arms. He couldn't read the script it was written in, but he appreciated the delicate curves of each marking. The bow was light and sturdy when he picked it up, good for what he needed it for. He gathered the quiver of arrows and some furs to supply himself for the night. Even now, he could hear the howls of the trogs outside.

As he left the house he was careful to avoid the center of the village where the bodies were. He knew the trogs would be wandering around that area specifically. The ground was still stained with blood and the air smelled like iron. Each step he took he maneuvered around the bodies of the villagers. _All of these lives... they're all gone._

Every sound made Soul jump. His instincts were screaming for him to turn around and go back to the hut, but he couldn't. Maka needed food and water, and as of right now she was too exhausted to get either on her own. Maka falling ill wasn't his only problem; the next village over was going to be about a week’s travel and they had nothing. In order to get there in one piece, he had to find supplies.

Each hut Soul entered had few belongings. _These people were definitely minimalists._ Sometimes when he walked in, there would be blood or the smell of rotting flesh. It was sickening. He would quickly grab whatever he cold and leave, making a mental note to come back and burn the bodies left.

 _I think I've gathered enough supplies for now. I should probably get back to Maka._ There was only a little way to go before he got back to where the hut was, when all of a sudden there was growling behind him. It was already too late by the time he could turn around; the beast was on top of him, clawing at his chest.

"Soul!"


	6. Chapter 6

Soul woke up unable to move his body. His chest was throbbing and he felt weak. As he looked around, things were too fuzzy for him to focus on, and Maka was on the other side of the room making tea. "Ye shouldn't be out of bed, Smaik."

Maka froze, startled by his voice. After a few seconds, the tenseness between them went away and she turned around to face him. "And you should be resting, Prig." He sipped from the water she brought him, thanking the gods for her existence.

"I remembered what happened this time."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"When I changed into a wolf. I remember walking with ye and everything that happen'd in the village. I've never..." A spout of coughing took over, creating a whirl of pain throughout his body.

"Take it easy, Soul." Her hands were warm against his chest, soothing the pain that ran through it. "Your wound was severe. You're lucky I was able to tend to what I could, especially with you always turning into a wolf and all." He managed a small laugh in response.

"Ahh, so that creature..."

"It's gone." The pain in her voice was clear, and the way her eyes never met his made him uneasy.

"It's not yer fault ye know." Maka's eyes were wide. _Why would he..._ "I did something dumb and that's why I got hurt."

"If I weren't careless and so focused on burning the bodies of my tribe..."

"Maka. I can't blame ye for wanting to take care of this place. They were yer family." She was silent for a few minutes, letting his words sink in. It was a cruel reality to think about; her home was gone. No one was there to guide her anymore. She was alone. _That isn't true. Soul was willing to save me back there._

"Can I ask you something, Soul?"

"Shouldn't I be sleeping, Smaik?"

"Smaik. Why do you call me that?"

"Well... Yer small 'n when I first met you I couldn't stand ye."

Maka wasn't sure if she was disappointed in his answer or not. _Does he really not like me? Is everything he's doing only for his own benefit?_ "Oh... I see. I'm sorry for the troubles I have brought you."

"Ye didn't let me finish. Ye reminded me of my brother," the softness of his tone threw her off "he was just as stubborn as ye. Always yelled 'bout ever'thing." A soft smile formed its way onto his face and suddenly his entire demeanor changed. _He almost looks handsome. His smile is nice._ "I loved him... he was all I had." There was a moment of silence between the two that felt intimate to Maka. It was only interrupted by the sound of the teapot over the fire whistling.

"I should, urm, get that." She stood up from her spot on the side of the bed and grabbed the kettle, burning herself in the process. The clattering of the pot to the ground made Soul jump up from the bed and make his way over to her. "Soul, you should be in bed resting!" He could see her hand was already blistering besides the fact that she was trying desperately to hide the pain.

"I've had days to rest. How many have ye had, hm? Yer not one to be clumsy." Dark circles were prominent under her eyes, only proving him to be right. He sighed, helping her up off the ground. Binding her hand, he tried to be as gentle as possible. "We certainly are the couple, aren't we?"

"Couple?" As soon as he said it, he regretted it. The smug look on Maka's face almost made him want to hide away under the furs on the bed. Despite being as pale as the snow, tomato was pretty much the perfect term to describe him at the moment.

"W-we should probably... um... leave tomorrow." _Way to act cool, Soul._ Bed sounded great to Soul all of a sudden. He turned on his heel and blew out the candles before diving under the covers, leaving a very confused Maka.

Maka wished she could say the sun was what woke her up. Instead it was the sound of Soul, as of every night, changing into a wolf once more. His cries were imprinted into her brain like a terrible fire, rampant and never ending. Tears always seemed to find their way to her eyes when he changed. The horrid pain he went through everyday... it broke her inside. What could anyone do to deserve something so horrid? She wanted to ask him but knew it best she didn't. Memories like that weren't meant to be uprooted, and she could accept that. Sort of. She couldn't say she wasn't at least curious to know.

It wasn't long after he transformed back into a wolf that they were traveling once more.  She had burned the bodies in the center of the village, saying a prayer as she left. The path to the next village was long and considered treacherous. Not many people traveled that way and those who did often met an unfortunate end. The stories that were told of it were never kind and often had tragic ends that no one wanted to confirm for themselves. Stories of the dark elves terrified her the most. Dark elves were always told to be evil and wicked, preying off of those who find themselves lost in the woods at the base of the mountains. _Never step off the trail, no matter what you do._

__

 

 

Soul stayed by Maka's side entering the forest. There was something... off about it. Something sinister lurked here and he could feel it. Whether it was his instincts or not, he knew they shouldn't be there. By looking at Maka, he could see she felt it too. "There's something wrong with the woods, Soul. The forest feels... sick? But how?" Her uneasiness added to his own, putting him even more on edge.

As they walked through the forest, Maka found herself intrigued with the flowers that grew all around them. They were like nothing she had ever seen and for some reason she was drawn to them. The different colors caught her eye and made her want to just stay and watch them bloom.  _Flowers don't grow in the winter._ Yellow flowers mixed with red, purple, blue, and pink, creating a breathtaking view. _Maka, you need to snap out of it._ She decided to rest in the field, just for a little bit.


	7. Chapter 7

(7)

Soul was focused on the sounds of the forest. There was so much going on it was hard to think about anything else. It was almost like there was a song playing in the air. It almost sounded like... Wes. The song playing was an old favorite of Wes's, one Soul missed dearly. _Wes is dead and never coming back._ He began to follow the sound, weaving his way through the trees to find the origin of the sound. _Whatever this is it isn't Wes, you know that._ The snow felt cold on his feet, an odd tingling sensation that brought him a sudden flurry of joy, almost as if he were a child again. _It’s the middle of the day, you can't be human right now Soul._

There, in the distance, was Wes. He was playing his violin with the same old goofy smile on his face. A smile that was plastered in Soul's mind every day since... _since when? Am I forgetting something? Why does this feel... wrong?_ Thoughts were jumbled in his mind. All Soul cared about was seeing his brother again. "What are you doing, Soul? Come sit down." He did as his brother said and sat next to him.

"Why do I feel sad to see ye? It feels like I haven't seen ye in so long..."

"What is with your ridiculous accent? When did you start playing pirates?" Something about Wes's laughter made Soul giddy. It was like finding a light after so long in the dark, but he didn't know why. He couldn't figure out what was missing for him to feel so relieved. It was like there was something very important he was forgetting, that if he didn't remember, would turn into something bad. _Look around you, none of this is right._

"I traveled for a while, remember? The accent stuck with me, ye see. I know it's quite awful."

"And who did you travel with, little brother?"

"Well, it was..." He stopped. An image of Wes's dead body flashed in his mind.

_Travel. Who am I traveling with? Who... Maka. Where is Maka?_

Suddenly, the pieces began to fit together like a puzzle. None of this was real, and he needed to snap out of it and find Maka. As he tried to stand, the world began to spin. Wes's face distorted and warped. The world changed with him, returning to the harsh snowy forest instead of the warm welcoming smile of his brother. Soul's body was wolf again, reassuring him that he was back in reality.

 _What was that? Why did I just hallucinate? And where is Maka? I can sense her, but she isn't anywhere to be seen._ He followed his senses through the forest, away from the trail. Wherever she was, she walked a very long way. Soon he came to a clearing where a cliff was, along with Maka. She stood at the edge, still and calm as if there was nothing wrong. He tried to call to her, only to be reminded that he was still just a wolf.

Flowers were never Maka's favorite thing in the world, not even close. But they reminded her of home. They were so beautiful, and she remembered when she would come out here with Angela and make flower crowns for Masamune. Why did those names make her sad? She loved them both so dearly, it didn't make sense. _They're gone. You can't fix that, Maka._ With each flower she picked, a feeling in her gut grew. _You need to wake up._ It was almost like she was.... sleeping. Like this was a dream. But she didn't want to wake up. Whatever was waiting for her outside of this, she could tell it was painful. There was only misery waiting for her, so why wake up? _What is the point?_

__

 

 

Soul pulled at her cloaks with his teeth, continuously pulling Maka back from the ledge. _How am I going to save her? She isn't thinking and I can't snap her out of it. I'm going to lose her too. Just like Wes._ In the blink of an eye, something blue flashed by in front of him. Standing there holding Maka, was a blue haired boy.

"Maka, you have to snap out of it!" Soul was confused, how did this boy know her name? The boy slapped her, seemingly snapping her out of it. "Maka, are you okay? Look at me."

Maka looked up at BlackStar, relief and confusion weighed down on her. Tears began to stream down her face, and she was hugging BlackStar. "I thought everyone was dead... How are you here? Please tell me I'm not still hallucinating." She was sobbing now, and to Soul's surprise, she was laughing too. "Where on earth have you been?"

"I've been in Gramsteen with a group of the others. I was on my way to burn the rest and maybe look for a few survivors. I can't believe you survived, pigtails."

"We already burned the bodies... and I stopped wearing pigtails a long time ago." The last remark earned a laugh from BlackStar.

"I see. Well, I have to thank you... for everyone."

"Wow, BlackStar, I never expected you to be so mature about anything."

"These are different times, pigtails." The disdain in his voice reminded Maka of when they were younger and would bicker and fight all time. He may be obnoxious, but Maka had to admit, she missed him these past few days. He was her brother, and he knew that she would do anything for him and their family.

"Are... are Stein and Mary safe? And what about my father?"

"They're fine. Stop being so anxious about it. Just calm yourself."

"This is why I hate you, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. Tell that to the tears." He froze at the sight of Soul, ready to attack if needed. "What the hell is with the wolf?" Maka turned to where Soul was watching. From her point of view, he looked harmless. Apparently, BlackStar thought otherwise.

"The wolf is a friend. He's not going to harm anyone, BlackStar." Soul's fur was soft under her hand when she pet him. He always seemed to melt into her touch, a fondness between both of them clear.

"Whatever. As long as the mongrel doesn't try anything." Being called a mongrel: not one of Soul's favorite things. He growled at BlackStar, throwing him off slightly. "did that thing hear me? It isn't a spirit, right? Pissing off the spirits is not something I plan to do." Maka snickered quietly. Wheels were definitely turning in her head.

"Of course he is. Why else would I be traveling with him?" His eyes went wide to that response, his expression becoming priceless. If Soul were human at that moment, he was sure he wouldn't have been able to contain his laughter. "At night time, he even takes his human form, so I'd be careful if I were you."

"Oh, please! Everyone knows I'm the great BlackStar! No offense spirit, but I'm capable of surpassing any of the gods or spirits." _Well, don't you have quite the ego?_ Soul definitely couldn't decide how he felt about this guy. He was something else, that's for sure.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get to Gramsteen before the week is out. If you keep yapping on, it'll take a month." He turned up his nose with a grimace and began to show them the way, every once in a while, showing subtle hints of concern by looking back and slowing down.

When it finally started to get dark, they stopped by some brush and built their fire. Maka grabbed some furs in preparation for Soul to transform, and BlackStar watched the surrounding area cautiously. It wasn't long before Soul began to change, the familiar crunching and screaming resonating through the woods, scaring any of the surrounding life away.  BlackStar watched silently, flinching a few times himself when bones cracked or popped.

Soul sat up slowly from the ground, his chest still feeling heavy from where the trog tried to gut him like a fish. Maka quickly covered him with the furs to keep him protected from the cold. "I have some clothing for you this time, too." She pulled some out of her sack and handed it to him. "Here, they may not fit exactly but it should work."

The clothes were thick and made of flax, a little rougher than he preferred. Over time he had become used to it though, for it was a common material used in these areas, other than hide. Maka had been nice enough to give him some extra hide boots and gloves as well as furs to layer on, but BlackStar seemed to think it wasn't worth his time. He was more curious about what the hell was going on with Soul's body.

"You gonna tell me why the hell you transform like that, or what? Because I am damn sure you are not a spirit." They both glared at each other blankly, waiting for the other to say the wrong thing.

"I 've made a few mistakes in my life that I have to pay for." BlackStar gave him another look over, nodding his head.

"That sounds like killing grounds to me." Before BlackStar could pull out a blade, Maka stopped him.

"Calm down. If he was really that dangerous, he would've killed me already."

BlackStar took a minute to think, looking back and forth between Maka and Soul. "I guess you're alright." Before Soul could blink, BlackStar was in his face, "But if you pull anything, and I mean _anything,_ I will kill you." Mustering a straight face, Soul held his stare.

"Understood." The threat was most definitely not empty.

Maka walked up behind Soul, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't mind him. He's just a little... wary. After everyone got killed like that he probably blames himself."

Turning to face her, he responded, "Why would he blame himself. It's not like he could've stopped all of those things." _Hell, no one could._

"He's always liked to think of himself as the protector of the village. Always going on about how strong and fast he is... Too bad he doesn't have the brains to back it up."

"Your god can HEAR you!" Both Soul and Maka turned to where he was "sleeping".

With a sigh, Maka's hand fell from Soul's shoulder. "You should try to rest. It will be a while until the sun rises, and your wounds aren't fully healed."

"Aw, is the lil' Smaik concerned about a Prig like me?" Her hands went to her hips and Soul's eyes followed. He took a quick second (maybe a second and a half) to appreciate her body.

"Concern is a strong word, Prig." She turned on her heel, a hint of a smirk showing.

"WOULD YOU TWO PLEASE STOP FLIRTING A GOD IS TRYING TO SLEEP!"

"Shut the hell up, BlackStar."


	8. Chapter 8

The night was eerily silent, the only noise the popping of the fire. Though he wished he could, Soul found that he couldn't fall asleep. He simply listened to the silence. "It's hard to kick old habits I guess..." Mumbling to himself wasn't new.  He got used to being alone, and even so... He was always lonely. Though he would never admit it to anyone, Maka was almost like his saving grace. She was the one who got him out of that damn cave and gave him a purpose. Sure, she was a pain in the ass, but she had a sense of humor; something quite rare where he is from.

"You keep mumbling about like that and people are gonna think you’re crazy, Wolfy."

"Oh great. Yer awake." He turned on his side to face away from Mr. Ego.

"You should be happy that your god is awake. I'm awesome."

"Yeah, yeah. Shut yer trap, kid."He wasn't sure why he didn't just pretend to go back to sleep. The dumbass was just going to end up pissing him off more. Besides, waking up Maka was the last thing on his agenda.

"A: I'm literally the same age as you, fluffy. And B: I have some questions for you."

"Let's get this ov'r with." He turned back to face BlackStar again. "What do ye want?"

"What the hell are you planning on doing with Maka?" Not the question he thought he'd be hearing.

"Not sure what you're talking about, but I'm not going to hurt her."

"There's more than one way to hurt someone, fluffy.  And I'm not about to watch her get her heart broken by some fur ball who thinks he's cool because he has an accent." It wasn't hard for Soul to see that BlackStar actually cared for Maka. _Who would've thought that behind the ego there was a heart?_

"I'm not planning on doing anything, okay. Yer just imagining things."

"You've made it past her walls. Try not to break them down."

_What the hell does that mean?_

The sun began to rise, waking Maka from her sleep. The last thing she was expecting when she woke up was to see both BlackStar and Soul awake, not killing each other. "When did you two get all 'buddy, buddy'?"

"Well, you were taking your sweet time to wake up so wolf boy and I had a little chat."

"And that means?" Worry went through her. BlackStar wasn't the most... tactful person. But she wasn't sure why that worried her. Even if he did say something to offend Soul it wasn't going to affect their friendship… right?

"That's all you need to know, pigtails."

"I haven't worn pigtails since my first marking ceremony."

"Speaking of markings, I hear you got new ones before you left." Below the ones signifying another 120 moons (Which Soul calculates is roughly 10 years going by full moons), was a line of words wrapping around her bicep. Though he couldn't read them, he assumed they meant something important. "The Words of Wisdom. You're such a nerd."

**_Wham!_ **

"No need to hit me, munchkin!"

"I am only an inch shorter than you!"

From what Soul could tell, Maka and BlackStar weren’t biologically related. But from the way they acted, one would guess that they were siblings. _They remind me of you, Wes._ “Hey! Some of us are trying to get some sleep before they violently transform back into a drooling freak so could ye quiet down?” He could hear them grumbling complaints as they went back to their spots, and he couldn’t help but crack a small smile.

 

The morning came quickly, and the trio started on their way to Gramsteen. BlackStar continued to reassure Maka that the town wasn’t much further, and they would be there soon, but she had her doubts. They had been traveling for a while and the days were growing shorter and shorter. In a few more hours it would be dark again, and they couldn’t afford to stop. _We’re going to have to travel in the darkness… with them._ Maka’s eyes wandered to Soul.

His movements were a little more sluggish than usual. He may have been in his wolf from but Maka could tell; he was in pain. Though his wounds were starting to heal, the strain from transforming back and forth was getting to him.

“Oi, pigtails!” She was snapped back to reality by BlackStar’s too-loud voice.

“What?” The scowl on her face wasn’t intentional, but it was certainly intimidating enough to even put BlackStar aback.

“You good, Maka?” _Oh great, now he’s concerned. Way to go Maka._

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m just a little worried about traveling in the dark is all.” Everything around them was beginning to be clouded by a grayish color, further proving her point. “I’ve already seen one of those things out during the day time. They’re getting more aggressive, BlackStar.”

The look on Blackstar’s face was solemn. “They’re adapting…” The crease in his brow deepened with a long pause, “This really isn’t good. We’ll never make it to Gramsteen at this rate.” As quickly as it had come, the furrow in his brow disappeared. “Unless I use magic.”

Suddenly, Maka found herself feeling very uneasy about all of this. “BlackStar, no.”

“It’ll be fine, Maka. Magic doesn’t affect me as much as it does everybody else. I’m way cooler than that. I’m practically a god-“

“Okay, please shut up.” Sighing heavily, she caved. “But just remember, no matter how strong you are, magic takes a toll on everyone. It’s taking power directly from your soul, so you have to use it sparingly or the effects will last.”

“Yeah, yeah. Quiet down, will ya? I have to concentrate.” Soul listened as BlackStar began to chant some kind of gibberish. Though he trusted Maka and BlackStar, he couldn’t shake the nervousness building in his gut from the idea of magic. From his experience with it, it does a hell of a lot more harm than good. _Just look at what Medusa did to my brother_.

In a flash of light, they were just outside the borders of a small village with a sign that read Gramsteen. Just as Soul felt the ground beneath his feet again, he felt an immense pain go through his stomach before he vomited.

“Looks like dog-for-brains isn’t used to magic. Go figure.” BlackStar made his way into the village, but Maka was right by soul’s side.

“My first time didn’t go much better. The sun will be down completely in a few hours. I can give you a few tips on how to deal with the effects of it when you’re back in your human form again.” Soul could only manage to let out a small whine, which to his dismay, made Maka giggle. “I get the feeling you’re putting at me right now. Honestly, you’re just like a child.” She stood up and began to walk away from him. “Are you coming?”

He rose slowly, his legs still wobbly from the little “jump” they just made. He fully regained his balance and joined Maka.

_Welcome to Gramsteen._


	9. Chapter 9

Transforming was never a problem for Soul. As a matter of fact, he had gotten quite used to it. However, it was never himself he had to worry about. He ALWAYS managed to forget that other people weren’t exactly… fond of it. Because of this common mistake of his, he is now in quite a predicament. A very large crowd of people with a lot of pointy objects were now in front of him, and none of them looked happy.

“He’s a demon!”

“Kill him!”

“You can’t kill a demon! You have to exorcise it! Call upon the spirits!”

 _Ah yes. How lovely. I am going to die._ Saying this was new to Soul would be a lie. He had tried to join a village a long time ago, back when he was first turned into a wolf; however, it hadn’t gone well. The people were nice enough, until the sun came up. Once that happened, well… the results were quite similar to now. Although, he didn’t have a Maka back then. Boy, does he wish he did.

“What is wrong with you? You’re not even giving him the chance to explain! Do you really doubt BlackStar or myself so much as to believe we would just bring a demon into the village?” He _really_ wished he had a Maka back then. Just like that, she had managed to get the crowd to back off and think… but that doesn’t mean they stopped pointing very sharp and threating objects at him.

“How do we even know you are Maka? You left weeks ago! For all we know you were killed by those things and now that-that witch brought you back!” The gentleman certainly had Soul’s attention. He stood up from where he was huddled on the ground, and walked past Maka to where the man was.

“Soul what-“

“It’s okay, Maka.” She wasn’t sure what part of this looked okay to him. From her perspective, everyone was about 2 seconds away from stabbing him. “Listen, I’m not a demon, and I’m not going to hurt you.” He paused, meeting the man’s heavy stare. “I need to know more ‘bout this witch.”

The crowd was speechless until a tall busty woman in the back gently spoke. “I can help with that.” The woman gracefully wormed her way to the front, slowly becoming more recognizable to Maka.

“Tsubaki!” Maka quickly embraced her old friend in her arms, overwhelmed with joy to see that she was alive.

“I’m glad you’re back Maka. I was… worried, to say the least.” The hug was cut short by Soul, who seemed very on edge to Maka.

“I’m sorry to interrupt ye two, but I need to know what witch yer speakin’ of… Please.” Desperation clouded his voice, and for a moment Maka felt like she could see into his soul.

“Of course,” Tsubaki’s gaze met with Soul’s, and suddenly the air felt heavy. “her name is Medusa.”

No one else could have noticed it, but Maka caught the way Soul’s shoulders stiffened, and how his breath stopped for just a moment. “I see. I-” He took a deep breath. _I can’t- I can’t think… I need to- I have to… How do I breathe?”_

A small whisper caught his attention. “Soul?” He turned his head to the right to see Maka, giving him a worried look. The terrified glint in his eye must have tipped her off. _Of course, she would notice._ She grabbed a hold of his arm, and turned back to Tsubaki, “I think Soul needs to rest for a minute. Maybe we can all talk about this later, okay?” The question was more directed at Soul, he knew, but the best he could manage was an incoherent grunt.

“That’s alright. I’m sure you’ve both had a long journey; and, from what BlackStar tells me, you didn’t enjoy his ‘jumping’ very much.” Maka gave an exasperated laugh.

“Soul had a bit of a rough time with it. We should probably get him to a bed.”

Tsubaki showed them to a small guest cabin. “I know it’s different than the huts we’re used to, but these cabins are actually warmer and a bit sturdier too!” She opened the door and helped Maka get Soul inside, “Get some rest. We have a lot to talk about.” Maka nodded and watched her leave, shutting the door behind her.

“Ye didn’t have to do that. I was fine, Smaik.” Soul laid down on an old sofa, watching Maka as she sauntered about the cabin.

“No, you weren’t… ye Prig.” Soul smirked, clicking his tongue as he spoke.

“Are ye making fun of my accent? I’ll have ye know plenty of women find it very attractive.” It would’ve been hard for him to miss her eye roll.

“Oh, I’m _sure_. You’re quite the catch with your fleas.”

He feigned offense, dramatically throwing his hand over his chest. “Ye wound me.” She finally stopped pacing and shoved his feet aside to join him.

“They certainly do have flashy taste in these cabins.” Deer heads and other trophies adorned the walls. “At least their furniture is comfortable.” She leaned back into the softness of the sofa, letting it engulf her aching back. Her eyelids began to feel heavy as- “Umpf!”

Soul’s head plopped down into her lap, his red eyes staring up at her with a certain _neediness_. “What are you, a dog?”

“Ha Ha, very funny,” An obnoxiously smug grin formed on his face “but I’m a wolf, Smaik.” She smoothed his hair back away from his eyes. _They’re too pretty to be covered by his disheveled hair._

“So far, I haven’t seen a difference. You whine, beg, and you’re constantly in need of affection.” And with that, he began to pout. “Nope, only works when you’re actually a dog.” He sighed, letting his eyes drift closed as she continued to run her fingers through his hair. His breathing quickly became more shallow and even, indicating he was asleep. “Guess you had a long day too.” She leaned her head back, looking at the ceiling. “I get the feeling we’re going to be seeing a lot more days like that.”

  
It wasn’t long before she fell asleep, her hand falling from its place in Soul’s hair. Soul’s eyes opened, no longer pretending to sleep. He got up from the sofa, returning a moment later with a cotton blanket to keep her warm.

He crouched down in front of her, his curiosity getting the best of him; her hair had become loose from her braid, making it look almost as messy as his. _Except for the fact that she looks absolutely beautiful like this and I look like I’ve been living in a cave._ Before he could stop himself, he gently moved a small strand of hair out of her face. His hand lingered for a moment before he stood up and gently kissed her forehead. _This… this was not supposed to happen._

“Damn it.” He left the cabin, putting out the candles and leaving the fire to keep Maka as warm as possible.


	10. Chapter 10

Soul wandered around the village, observing the people carefully. Everyone was on edge, and quite a few were still mourning. It wasn’t exactly surprising; they had all lost someone important to them so quickly and so… brutally. He could sympathize.

There was a little bar in the middle of the village named Gram’s bar ( _Not exactly original)_ where he found Tsubaki. She was in the back talking with BlackStar and a few others. _The guy with the bolt in his head freaks me out, and the red head just seems… insane._ He wandered over to their table, thankful that Tsubaki was the first to notice him and not one of the others. “Soul! I’m glad to see you’re awake!” BlackStar turned his head and looked past Soul, then moved his gaze back to him.

“Maka isn’t with you?” At this, the red head seemed to spark to life, now listening intently to the conversation.

“No, she’s sleepin’. Figured I’d let her after all the travellin’.” The red head’s shoulders slumped, and he seemed to lose interest in the conversation. Tsubaki smiled and nudged for Soul to sit down, but Soul was hesitant.

“I suppose I should introduce all of you before we start. Soul, this is Stein. He’s something like our tribe’s doctor.” The man with the bolt in his head held up his drink in acknowledgment without saying a word. “And this is Spirit. He’s Maka’s father.” _That explains it. He wants to see his daughter._

“That’s right. I hear you’ve been traveling with my Maka.” Spirit bolted up from his seat and glared a soul, the smell of alcohol was potent on his breath. “If you touched my precious Maka in any way I swear I will-” Stein kicked the back of Spirit’s knee, effectively getting him to shut up.

“Sorry about that. Why don’t we get down to business? About Medusa?” Stein’s voice had an almost eerie sound to it, sending shivers down Soul’s spine. _This guy is a lot tougher than he looks._

“Yeah, sounds good.” Soul sat down next to BlackStar and Tsubaki, still wary of the two gentlemen at the other side of the table. “What do you need to know from me?”

Spirit piped up from his newfound spot on the floor, “Well for starters, how do you know her?” The image of Wes’s dead body popped into his head again. _Keep it simple Soul, you don’t have to go into detail. It’s okay just, breathe._

“She killed my brother… a long time ago.” Tsubaki gave him a pitying look, while the others just raised their eyebrows. Stein had some questions.

“Is she the one that cursed you?”

Soul hesitated. He wanted to tell them everything they needed to know but he was petrified. He’d seen what Medusa was capable of. Hell, she filled many of his nightmares. Thinking over just made him feel like he was reliving everything all over again. “N-no. That wasn’t her. It’s a far more complicated story than that…” The expectant gazes from everyone made him pause. For a split second, he actually contemplated telling them everything, but he couldn’t. Not yet, at least. “It isn’t important. What is important is telling ye about what Medusa is capable of. She has only a few followers, but they’re powerful. Erika, the witch; Free, the magician; and Little Ogre, the demon. They’re few in numbers, but again, very powerful.”

“I see, thank you, Soul.” Stein drank more of his beer, seemingly lost in his thoughts. He stood up to leave, but was stopped by Tsubaki.

“Yeah? What else?”

Her voice became smaller, a little above a whisper. “Medusa… we believe she is the one responsible for the monsters.”

“You mean the trogs? Wouldn’t surprise me. She’s always enjoyed toying with the lives of others.”

“Y-yes. The trogs.” She sighed, “I guess you also know that those things- the trogs, they used to be people?”

“Maka and I had come to that conclusion when we found one in your home village. It still had its locket on.” He looked down, the foul memory stained into the back of his head.

“Alright. Thank you for the intel, Soul. It was helpful.”

“Y-yeah… no problem.” _Helpful? I feel like I just sent you all to your graves._

He returned to the cabin, instantly heading to the pantry to find some food. “You were gone for a long time.” Soul jumped back, jerking his still-injured shoulder harshly. He clutched at it, waiting for the throbbing to stop. “Soul!’ Maka was in front of him, concern etched into her face.

“I’ll be fine, ye just scared me.” He took a deep breath, calming himself down. “I thought you’d be sleeping.” She turned her head away, trying to avert his gaze. _Is she blushing?_

“I was having a hard time staying asleep with no one else here.” She quickly caught herself, “And it was kind of cold.” A spark of mischief found its way into Soul’s eyes, and Maka found herself wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. She backed away slowly, but there wasn’t much room in the pantry. The wall was cold against her back.

Soul stepped forward, placing his forearm on the wall above her head. _He’s taller than I thought._ _He slouches too much._ “So, what I’m hearing is, ye missed me?”

Maka tried her best to keep her wits, “I think you like to jump to conclusions too much.” He smiled down at her, boyish charm radiating from him. _Damn that toothy grin._ With his free hand, he reached up behind her head and pulled her hair down from the braid. The rest of the strands fell loose, leaving her hair in a wavy, disheveled mess. “Great, thanks. Are you done yet?” She folded her arms, trying to look stern with him, and failing miserably.

“Nope. I think I’m just getting’ started with ye.” He continued to roll a strand of her hair around his finger, making her even more flustered. “Ye can try to act annoyed with me all ye want, _Maka_ , but we both know yer anything but.” A light chuckle filled the air, “’Sides, I like it when ye pout. It’s kinda cute.” Maka rolled her eyes. She wasn’t about to let him win whatever game he was playing at, even if the way he said her name gave her butterflies.

“Mhm, yeah. Time for bed.” She went to go around him, but his hand was on her cheek before she could. His thumb gently rubbed circles on her jawline as his face moved closer, hovering just above hers. A melancholy smile replaced his vibrant one. “Soul, what’re you-”

“I-uh” His voice was hoarse and quiet now, and his breath was hot against her face. “Things are gonna get bad soon and I just-uh… needed to have this for a moment.” She could hear him mumbling just above a whisper. “Just for a moment…”

In that moment, Maka made a consecutive decision to cut off his rambling by throwing her arms around him and pulling him in for a kiss. It was sloppy and rushed, far from what she wanted it to be, but she needed him to calm down. They would have time for better ones later when he wasn’t shaking like a leaf.

She pulled away, searching for something other than the blank expression he wore. The little spark he always had in his eyes when he was happy returned, and that was more than enough for her. He decided that a sloppy three-second kiss wasn’t quite what he wanted for her, so later wasn’t really an option anymore. He needed now; before everything went to hell.

He leaned back in, kissing her gently. Her arms were around his neck, holding on tightly. Their movements became more feverish. He lifted her up, and she matched him by wrapping her legs around his waist. Soul moved his mouth down to her neck and found himself enjoying the way she moaned as he nibbled and sucked along her neck and collarbone. He wanted to continue, he wanted so badly to keep going, but he couldn’t.

He ended their little session with a gentle kiss on her lips and helped her to the ground. The pout on her lips made him want to kiss her again and again and again. He wanted nothing more than to spend a day in bed with her as a human. _That’s never going to happen._ Instead, he kissed her forehead and led her out of the pantry and to the bedroom. “We should sleep. There’s still a few more hours until sunrise.”

“You’re probably right.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Experiment 3 is a failure. The subject died after the 6th injection. What a waste.” Medusa scowled, “Erika! Have Free dispose of the body. Little Ogre can have it if he pleases.” A small witch in a polka dot dress ran in, followed by a large man and a disproportionate red demon.

“Y-yes Lady Medusa!” The Little Ogre studied the body with a frown.

“Free, you can dispose of it. It isn’t corrupted enough for my tastes.” He turned to Medusa. “Speaking of corrupt, when are we going to get my juicy snack from that village? I’m tired of running circles around our wolf-boy.”

“I believe you may just get your chance. I’ve picked up a certain interest in a traveling companion of his.” Erika finished cleansing the operation table and looked expectantly to Medusa. “Free, go get the next subject. I have a few more things I want to try.”

Soul dreaded mornings, especially when he had to wake up next to Maka and then gruesomely transform into an over glorified flea-bag. Though he got used to the pain, he couldn’t help but feel guilty when he saw the look on Maka’s face. She always looked so sad when he transformed. It was almost heartbreaking to him. He had to admit, though, her sympathy cuddles were nice. _I just wish I wasn’t a wolf so I could actually hold her._

A loud knocking on the door sent Soul darting out of bed. What followed after made his heart stop. “Get up! It’s Medusa! She’s here!” Maka quickly grabbed her weapons and ran out the door with Soul. Outside in the town was the Little Ogre, devouring the souls of the refugees and the townspeople.

“You’re all so quaint. I need someone with real _fire._ ” His eyes locked on to Maka and Soul, filling him with glee. “YES! YES! You’ve finally come out to play!” It licked its rotting teeth and smiled. I’ve been so _hungry,_ Soul. Won’t you let me  _e a t  y o u_?” It began to run at them, dragging its too-long arms behind it. For how short its legs were, it ran fast. Too fast.

Maka was just barely able to avoid its first attack but was unable to dodge the swing of its arms. “ _Oops_! I wasn’t _supposed_ to do _that._ Lady Medusa wants to have a looksie at you, _deary_.” Soul wasn’t going to let that happen. He ran as fast as he could and jumped onto the demon, sinking his teeth into its shoulder.

“AAAAAAHHHHHH!” It clawed at its back, reaching for Soul. “I’m gOIng tO KiLl YoU WOLfy.” Its voice became distorted and loud. Maka clutched at her ears in an attempt to make the ringing from it stop., but the ringing was whispers. Too many voices were piling up in her mind, and she felt like her brain was going to explode.

_Come here._

_It’s okay._

_We won’t hurt you._

_This way._

One voice was left. It was a child. “Who are you? Why are you in my head?”

“We want to help you. We want to stop the witch.” Maka slowly got up, her back aching from where she hit the ground. Soul was still attacking the demon, and she saw BlackStar and Stein coming to join him. She followed the voice, winding through the village towards the outskirts to find it. There, standing on the path, was a child. “You found me.”

“You’re a child.” She looked at the black dagger they were holding; a strange aura was coming from it. “That dagger has a lot of power. May I ask why you have it?”

“It is a part of me. Mother wants it. She is calling to it.” The child stared at the dagger, whispering to it. “She wants to use its power to hurt people.” The child looked to Maka with desperate eyes.

“Who is your mother?”

“Medusa.”

A loud screech came from the village, and Maka saw a large cloud of dark smoke appear and then disappear just as fast as it had come. _Please be alright, Soul._ She walked towards the child slowly, unsure of how to approach them. “People are going to have a hard time trusting you. They won’t understand.”

“We know.”

She knelt down in front of them. “You keep saying we… why?”

The child held up the dagger, showing the elvish markings to Maka.

_Ragnarok._

“The dagger has its own name? What’s yours then?” The child’s brow furrowed, as if they had to contemplate their answer.

“My name is Crona.”

“Let’s get you back to the village, Crona,” Maka held her hand out to them. “I know a few people who would like to talk to you.” Crona took her hand and walked alongside her quietly. They only spoke once.

“He is alright.” Maka looked to Crona, a sense of relief and confusion washing over her. _How did you know?_ They made it to the center of the village. There were only a few casualties, but that was still too many for Maka’s liking. She spotted white fur and called out.

“Soul!” His ears perked up and he the direction he was called from. The moment he saw Maka, he started to run. Knocking her over and licking her face was his way of saying _Where the hell have you been? We looked everywhere for you! You’re lucky you’re okay._ It wasn’t until after she had gotten him to calm down that he noticed the small child. He faced Maka again and tilted his head to the side questioningly. “This is Crona. Medusa’s child.”

Once night fell, the group made a decision to keep Crona with Tsubaki at the bar for the time being while Soul and Maka discussed some things in their cabin. “Soul I think you’re being irrational about this!”

“I’m being irrational? Maka, they are the child of a fuckin’ witch!” Soul was seething. _What the hell is she thinking? Didn’t they just say they wanted her?_ He pinched the bridge of his nose and sunk further into his slouch. “How can ye even think to trust them? This child has a magical fuckin’ dagger and is the spawn of a crazy witch!”

“Soul, would you listen! Please?” He sighed as he slumped against the wall, clearly exhausted.

“Fine. I’ll bite.”

“If Crona was going to kill me, they would have. They had every chance in the world, but instead, they wanted to help. Crona is afraid, Soul. And I know you see it too.” Soul looked up and groaned in defeat.

“I’m sorry I-” Maka placed her hands on his cheeks, pulling him down to look at her.

“I know. I would’ve probably fought you on it too, _ye stubborn Prig_.” He cracked a small smile and slid his arms around her waist.

“Yer always makin’ fun of me.” He nuzzled his head into the crook of her shoulder and hugged her closer to him.

_Oops! I wasn’t supposed to do that. Lady Medusa wants to have a looksie at you, deary._

He started to cry. _I can’t lose her too. I just can’t. Please._ He tried to tell her, to let her know, but he couldn’t. Everything just came out in broken sobs. _You’re too weak to protect her. You can’t save her. She’s going to die too._ “Soul?” Her words were too gentle, her touch too soft. _I don’t deserve it. Everything I care about dies because I’m weak._

“I’m-” His voice broke a little, words too hard to formulate, “Can we stay like this? Jus-just for a little bit?” Small hands ran through his tousled hair kindly. Soul could hear her humming something similar to the song he hummed for her before.

“Yeah. We can.”


	12. Chapter 12

“I think we should keep Crona with us.” Soul was damn near flabbergasted. _She sure doesn’t quit, does she?_

“Is that really a good-”

BlackStar cut him off. “Listen, pigtails. We don’t know what this brat is capable of. If they try anything with no one there to help you, you could get seriously hurt.” Maka was slightly annoyed.

“I have Soul with me.” Maka’s arms were crossed now; her foot tapped with annoyance. Half tempted to laugh, Soul kept his mouth shut. He decided against having his brains scrambled by another ‘Maka chop’ or whatever. Instead, he settled for a smug grin. “And I doubt he’s just going to sit there if anything happens. So, again,” She breathed heavily through her nose, her irritation evident. “Crona is staying with us.”

With a turn of the heel, Maka walked away from the conversation. _When she wants something she sure as hell isn’t just gonna sit there and watch it go by._ She walked out of Gram’s bar, Soul not far behind her. “Maka, wait a second.” For such a little person, she sure had a lot of fury.

Her words seemed to grind through her teeth. “What?”

_Choose your words carefully, Soul._

“Are we sure this is a good idea? I mean-”

_You have chosen poorly._

The pounding feeling going through his skull was less than desirable. “Soul. Crona is _staying_ with _us._ ” He ended up getting ‘Maka chopped’ after all.

“Yeah…” The pain had only just started to subside a little. “Okay.”

Finding Crona wasn’t too hard. Tsubaki had decided to let them wander a bit, just to get a feel of the village. Maka could tell people were still wary of Crona, but the children seemed to get along with them just fine. They were playing tag with the other kids, and for once they were smiling. It was nice to see. “Hey, Crona!” Maka waved them over.

“Am I in trouble?” Though they looked stiff and rigid, Maka could see the sliver of fear that wavered in Crona’s eyes.

“No, you’re not in trouble. I just wanted to show you where you’ll be staying.” Their shoulders relaxed a little and their smile returned. Maka couldn’t help but feel sorry for the child. Thick scars ran over their body, some much worse than others. _How could a mother do this to their own child?_ Crona took Maka’s hand as they made their way to the small cabin. Soul trudged in behind them exhaustedly.

“I say nap time.” Maka’s eye roll didn’t go unnoticed. Soul pulled his best pouty face, and Crona mimicked him. “See! Even the kid wants a nap time.” They pouted at Maka together, and she sighed.

“Not three seconds in and you’re already influencing them. May the spirits help me…” Soul and Crona followed victoriously as Maka walked into the bed room. Soul plopped down face first onto the bed. Seeing the Crona was struggling to do the same, he pulled the kid up with him.

“Don’t ye worry kid; ye’ll grow.” Maka looked at the sight in front of her and laughed. _He’s good with kids. Who knew?_ She flopped down in between the two, listening as Soul already began to snore.

“I’ll never understand how he does it. Falling asleep seems to come so naturally to him.” She turned her head to look at Crona. Their eyes were closed as well, but their face was far from peaceful. Chrona’s brow was furrowed and their nose was crinkled. Their breathing came in uneven gasps, every so often they would mumble something incoherent under their breath. As what Maka assumed was a nightmare progressed, she noticed tears start to roll down their face. “Crona?”

“Please don’t hurt me… Please.” Crona shot up from the bed sobbing. “Pluh-please…” Their eyes were wide and their hands were glowing bright red.

“Crona, it’s okay, no one’s going to hurt you.” Maka tried to grab their hands, but they were scalding hot. “Ow!” Maka’s yell woke Soul up in a panic.

“Woah-what? Maka!” Her palms were burnt and blistering, much to Soul’s dismay. He looked up to see Crona in hysterics, their hands glowing vibrantly. He looked back to Maka. “What’s going on with Crona?”

“I think they had a nightmare.” Crona sobbed out apologies, only to be shushed by Maka. “It’s okay. Look at me, Crona. It’s okay.” The glow of their hands began to dim until it was gone. Their tears were still flowing, but not as vigorously as before. Crona started to cry into her shoulder, hugging her tightly. “You’re okay.” Soul was next to them, a scowl apparent on his face.

“Ye get nightmare’s like that often, kid?” They nodded. “Are they ‘bout yer mum?” Another nod. “I see.” Soul placed his hand on Crona’s back for support. “Sorry, kid. Ye don’t have to relive it.”

_Damn you, Medusa._


	13. Chapter 13

“Lady Medusa, where are you going?” Erika jogged after her down the long corridor.

“Out.” She pulled her arms through her snakeskin coat, covering her tattoos.

“But Lady M-” A giant snake wrapped itself around Erika, its grip tightening slowly. Medusa flashed a wicked grin.

“I’m going out.” She snapped her fingers, calling her pet back. “I have an old friend to pay a visit to.” A chuckle escaped from her lips. “You see, Little Ogre didn’t finish what I needed him to. Now I have to go do everything by myself and take time away from my precious experiment.”

Crona loved the snow. Maka liked it, but Crona was completely enthralled by it. Snow seemed to fill them with life. Watching them run through it with enthusiasm gave Maka a peaceful feeling. It helped her calm her mind about everything. _Simplicity is nice to have._

They were on their way to the bookstore where Tsubaki worked. As always, Soul seemed to sulk behind them. _Why won’t he just admit when he’s actually enjoying himself? I could see him smiling earlier…_ A little bell jingled as they walked through the doors. Tsubaki’s warm smile greeted them. “Hello. I see You’ve gotten some new boots, Crona.” Chrona shyly smiled and nodded their head.

“The shopkeeper gave them to us.” Maka smiled down at Crona as they drug Soul around the book store, clomping around in their new boots. “I know a lot of the townspeople don’t trust Crona yet… especially after what happened to our village,” a grave look fell on Maka’s face. “I can’t say I blame them either. Is that horrible to say?” She glanced at Tsubaki, hoping for some sort of answer.

“No, I don’t think it is.” Tsubaki wore a sad smile. “People are afraid for a good reason. Magic can be a cruel thing.” She looked up to the rafters, a hand on her hip. “Which is why I’m not fond of the way some people use it.” BlackStar peeked over a beam, revealing his hiding spot.

“I’m fine, Tsu. A great star like me has nothing to worry about. I can handle anything.” He continued to babble on as Tsubaki returned to her conversation with Maka.

“Speaking of magic, how are you holding up?” Talking about her own magical abilities was never a delight of Maka’s. Unlike most magic users, she had never been able to control her own magic very well. When she was younger, her villagers were afraid of her because of this. Losing control of her emotions often times resulted in an outburst of her magic. A few of those times she had hurt others; once she had killed somebody.

“I’m fine. I haven’t used magic since my 156th moon.” She noted Soul’s quizzical brow on the other side of the room. “I-I’m better at controlling it. It helps when I hunt or read. I just have to focus on something else to distract me from whatever is bothering me.” Soul could see straight through her fake smile. The conversation was obviously making her uneasy, and apparently, Tsubaki saw it too.

“Oh!” She ran back behind the counter and rummaged through some things. “I found a book I think you’ll like.” _Evelina_ was held in her hand. Maka graciously took the book, scanning through the first few pages.

“Thank you, Tsubaki! I’ll return it when I finish it.”

Tsubaki’s hands flew up and she shook her head. “No! You can keep it! I found it in the back with a bunch of other books that weren’t sold and I know you’ll take good care of it.”

“Oh! All right.” She held the book closer to her, concerned about the harsh weather outside. “We should probably get back to the cabin before the storm coming in gets worse.” She hesitated before asking, “How long is everyone planning to stay here?” She heard the rafters creak from BlackStar’s movements before he hopped down.

“Dunno. You’d have to ask Stein or the old man for that one.” She nodded at his response and headed out the door with Soul and Crona behind her. The winter air had grown harsher with the wind, stinging on Maka’s face. It was too dark to see much, but the snow made it nearly impossible.

They trekked through the storm, a strong breeze making Maka shiver every now and then. As they began to reach the cabin, she could just make out a figure through all the snow. The figure drew closer, coming to meet them half way. Once they were close enough Maka realized it was a blonde woman, but she still couldn’t quite see her face. Soul did, however.

“Maka, get back!” **_Crunch. Crunch. Crunch._** “Maka, that’s Medusa!” **_Crunch. Crunch. Crunch._** Maka felt off. Medusa’s soul was so… _crooked._ It felt as though it was draining the life out of the air itself. Just being near her made Maka’s soul ache. The sound of the snow beneath Medusa’s feet was so loud in her ears. Her skull was pounding. _What are you?_ Soul grabbed Maka’s arm and pulled her back. “Why are ye just standin’ there? Maka!”

Her entire body trembled. Not from the cold, but from _her_. _From Medusa’s power_. “You don’t feel it?”

Soul was yelling louder now. “Feel what? We need to leave!”

_Why are you here?_

“Leaving so soon, Soul? I was hoping to catch up. Maybe have a nice chat over some tea and **y o u r   b r o t h e r ‘ s   g r a v e**.” Her voice was malicious in tone and her laughter was even more so. “Relax. I’m just a concerned mother here for her child, after all.” Medusa’s gaze shifted to Crona, who was shaking like a leaf. “How could you run away from your mother like that. Don’t you know how worried I was?”

“Worried? Look at what ye have done to the kid!” Soul was furious. _Why is she here? Why not just send Free or the Little Ogre again?_

“Do you mean the scars?” Even with all of the layers they had on, Soul could see multiple scars along Crona’s face and hands. “I was merely making them stronger. They were too weak to live in this world before I helped them. That dagger’s ability is the only reason he is still alive.” The snakeskin jacket dropped to the ground. _Her tattoos are **gone**._ A large snake appeared beside Medusa, it’s fangs were bared and dripping venom. “I do tire of this chit chat. You’ve become quite boring, Soul. I suppose enough time spent rotting in a cave will do that to anyone.” She snapped her fingers and the snake lunged forward at Maka.

 

Soul just barely made it to her in time, tackling her to the ground. “Maka! Ye have to snap out of it! If ye keep doin’ this, yer gonna die!” She shook her head and looked at Medusa.

“Soul, we can’t win this!” He got up, bringing her with him.

“Well I don’t know ‘bout ye, but I don’t really feel like dyin’. So if runnin’s our best option, so be it.” They both nodded in agreement, then sprinted as fast as they could in the other direction. Soul grabbed Crona, dragging them along. “Where exactly are we runnin’ to?”

Maka looked back at him with uncertainty. “I think our only option is the forest.” Suddenly Soul was feeling unsure about their plan. _This is just great. We have nowhere to go but trog city._ The snake hissed and rattled behind them as it followed their trail. Luckily, the forest was dense, and the snake had a hard time getting through all of the trees. They kept running until they found an area to hide and collect themselves. Crona was mumbling something repetitively, but they were shaking too much for Maka to understand. “Slow down, Crona.” The mumbling became a little louder, just enough for Maka to make out what they were saying.

“There’s two there’s always two _why aren’t there two_?” Soul and Maka looked at each other in confusion.

“What do ye mean, kid? Two of what?”

The mumbling stopped. The only thing that came out of Crona’s mouth next was

**_“Two snakes.”_ **


	14. Chapter 14

The village was in danger and Soul knew it. _We have to go back. But how? If we just start sprinting again, we’ll get killed. If we try to wait it out, we’ll get killed. We need a plan._ Maka’s head was planted in her hands. She was desperately trying to find a way out of this but continued to come up empty.

“I kn-know what t-to do.” They both looked down at Crona. “I can distract it while you both run.”

Maka was not fond of this plan. “No. You’re not going to do that. We can find another way-”

“There is no other way.” Crona was serious now. The trembling had practically stopped, and their eyes were glowing a faint red. “I have magic… and Ragnarok. He’s powerful. He’ll kill the snake.” They pulled out the black dagger from before; it glowed a bright red and had an enormous amount of energy coming from it. “He used to be a spirit’s dagger, but my mother stole him.” Crona stood up and began to walk in the direction of the snake. “Just trust me.” Soul nodded his head and stood, holding his hand out to Maka.

 

 

“They know what they’re doing. We have to trust them.”

She sighed in defeat. Nothing she could say would stop this from happening. Taking Soul’s hand, she turned her head back to Crona and watched them wade further into the forest. “Please be careful.” Soul and Maka began to run towards the village. The closer they got, the clearer the screams became. A giant snake lay in the village, devouring anyone it could catch. “By the spirits… all of those people…”

“We need to hurry.” They ran to Gram’s Bar, the familiar scent of booze clouded by blood. Inside they found Tsubaki tending to the wounded. BlackStar jumped down from the rafters with his blade drawn.

“A star like me isn’t going to let that damned thing keep killing.” His blade glowed a vibrant blue.

Maka put her hands up. “BlackStar you need to wait. You don’t-” He was already out the door before she could stop him. “BlackStar!” She turned to follow him, but Soul stopped her.

“He’ll be fine. He’s cocky but a skilled fighter. He can handle himself.” He grabbed her hand, reassuring her. His hand was warm in hers and gave her a little sliver of bravery. She took a moment to breathe and then smiled up at him.

“I know.” Her smile faltered. “I’m just sick of watching the people I love die.”

“I know the feeling.” He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles gently. Reassurance was really all he could offer her. Too bad their moment had to be cut short.

“Get off my daughter and get out there to fight!” Spirit threw a bow and a quiver of arrows at Soul’s feet expectantly, only for Maka to pick them up.

“Thank you, papa. I think I’ll find this far more useful than he will. Besides,” her breath hitched slightly as she spoke, “the sun’s coming up.” Low-and-behold, Soul began to change. _At least it’s a little easier for me to fight like this._ This was the first time he was happy to become a wolf.

Maka opened the door of the bar and ran out with Soul. From where they were, they could see BlackStar still fighting the snake. He was slower than usual, and Maka could tell he was using too much magic power. _He’s going to end up killing himself._ She ran closer, grabbing an arrow from her back and aligning it with her bow.

“BlackStar! You’re using too much magic!” She released the bowstring and watched as the arrow sailed into its target’s body. The snake hissed loudly, jerking its head in Maka’s direction. It slithered quickly towards her, but Soul bit onto its neck and latched on. The snake squirmed, throwing its body back and forth along the ground. BlackStar took the opportunity to attack. He summoned his shadow, forcing it to stab into the snake’s head. BlackStar laughed victoriously, falling with the snake as it plopped to the ground. “BlackStar!” Maka ran over to where he lay unconscious on the ground. “Shit. This is what happens when you overuse magic, you dimwit!”

Someone began to clap. “That was quite a show. Though I was hoping you would show me a little display of your own, Maka.” She looked up to see Medusa applauding them. Soul started growling viciously. “But honestly. Did you really think I was just going to let it be that easy? Where’s the fun in that?” Her laughter rang through Maka’s ears, adding to her fury.

“Fun? Mercilessly slaughtering people is fun to you?”

“Oh, listen to you. Aren’t you just the little peace keeper?” Medusa snapped her fingers, and suddenly the bow Maka was using was torn from her grip. “I’ll tell you what. If you can give me a little magic show, I won’t kill anyone else.” Maka’s eyes grew wide. _She can’t be serious._

“You did all of this just to see some ancient magic? All of these people were worth your entertainment?” Words tasted bitter on Maka’s tongue. She wanted to scream.

“No.” The smile Medusa had was replaced by annoyance. “Your magic is special and you know it, so I suggest you don’t play smart with me.” _Sweaty palms are never a good sign._ “You have so much power residing in you.” She took a step towards Maka, and Soul bared his teeth some more. “So much that you can barely contain it. I know what you’re capable of. What you’ve done. What you did to the bad man who tried to hurt you.” Maka’s heart skipped a beat. _No. Stop. DON’T COME ANY CLOSER._ Medusa stepped forward.

Soul lunged forward, his only thought at the moment to protect Maka. Medusa was quick and slashed at him as he jumped. There was a whine, a splatter of blood, and then a thump. Maka screamed.

“Have you ever heard the story about Little Red Riding Hood?” Maka lost her balance, falling to the ground as she stared at Soul’s barely breathing body. “Would you like to know the ending?” His fur was no longer white, but red. The ground around him pooled with the red. “You see, the lumberjack comes and slices the wolf open-” _It’s the same color as his eyes._ “fills his stomach with rocks-” _Open your eyes, Soul._ “and then throws him into the river. Boop! Just like that!”

Maka was angry. Her blood felt like it was boiling. _It’s too hot. Your palms are sweaty. That’s never a good sign._ The air was still around her; only the gentle fall of snowflakes could be felt. Maka watched her hands as they started to glow white. The ground began to shake violently around the village. People screamed from inside their homes, and the air grew colder. A voice yelled from the distance, but Maka was too far gone to understand what was said. She rose slowly from the ground, and the earth stopped shaking. Silently, she raised her hand and clenched her fist shut. The ground shattered around Medusa’s feet, but she was able to avoid it easily. Again and again, Maka attacked relentlessly. She threw the splintered beams of the broken house at Medusa, finally able to break her balance. Vines grew and wrapped around her, holding her in place.

Maka stepped forward slowly twirling the magic between her fingers. The vines grew tighter and tighter around Medusa. Maka stopped right in front of her, her breath crystallizing in the cold air. “How’d you like your show?”

“I must say it was quite impressive. I had a real _blast_.” Just then, an explosion threw Maka to the ground. She looked up to find Free standing over her.

“For someone so small, you sure have a lot of fire in ya.” He kneeled down to pick her up, but a dagger to the shoulder stopped him. “Gahh!” Tsubaki stood next to Stein and Spirit, two more daggers in her hand. “You-”

“Don’t. I’ve had my fair share of fun for the night. Leave them be.” Medusa had freed herself from the vines, and as quickly as she’d come, she disappeared with Free.

“Maka!” Spirit and Tsubaki rushed over to help her up.

“Soul’s hurt… you have to help him.” Soul’s body was still, and his breathing was slow and heavy. Stein rushed over to him to take a look.

“He’s in critical condition. He needed attention as soon as possible.” From his chest to his stomach was a huge gash much worse than what the trog had done to him before. “And I think I’ll need to take a look at you too, Maka.” Blood dripped down from her ears and nose, making her light-headed.

“What… What about Crona?” Spirit’s shoulders stiffened, and he spoke slowly.

“They were in the woods-” _Please don’t say what I think you’re going to say._ “They were so small and lost so much blood…” It felt like an eternity until his next words. “They didn’t make it.”

Red stained the village. Red stained the snow. Maka didn’t like the snow.


	15. Chapter 15

It had been three days since Soul had gotten hurt, and he still hadn’t woken up. He also hadn’t been changing back to a human during the night, either. To say Maka was worried would be an understatement. The cabin felt a lot lonelier with just her, and the silence reminded her too much of Crona. When they had shown her the body, they told her that they took down the snake in the woods with them. They had died with a peaceful smile on their face.

Still, Maka’s heart was broken. She had imagined a future with Crona back in the old village once it was repaired. In the winter they would clomp around in their boots, running through the snow with a smile. She also hoped she would be able to show them Soul’s cave in the mountains, and tell them about how Soul had been when she first met him. Almost 3 months had gone by since then.

A knock at the door brought her out of her daydream, and she opened it to find BlackStar. “The mutt’s awake.” She ran past him towards Stein’s. “Maka, wait!” She slowed down, letting him catch up to her. He still hadn’t healed completely, and running hurt too much. “We still don’t know why he hasn’t been changing back into a human.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. _Soul did that, too._ “Stein’s been explaining it to him, but we don’t really know how he’s taking it because he can’t talk back.” _I bet he’s pouting._ “So just-uh keep that in mind.”

“All right. Thanks, BlackStar.” She ran ahead, eager to see Soul awake.

When she opened the door to Stein’s, she saw exactly what she had expected. Soul was in the corner whining. That is, until he saw her. His ears perked up and he attempted to run over to her. His wound was still severe, so it turned out to be more like a very slow limp. She sat on the ground to meet him, letting him nuzzle his head to hers.

Climbing into her lap was definitely on his priorities list. If he couldn’t turn into a human to cuddle her, then he was damn well going to spend his time getting wolf cuddles instead. _I’d rather be kissed by her. That’d be cooler than drooling all over her lap like this._ He mentally facepalmed himself. _I should have kissed her more when I had the chance. Now all I can do is slobber._

“Stein, do you know when Soul will be able to come home?” The way she scratched behind his ears made him pant as his tail wagged rigorously.

“From the looks of it he might be able to go home today.” He turned the screw in his head, each click drilling into Soul’s ears. “But I’m going to have to check on a few more things. His injury is far from healed, and not being able to turn back into a human is a large concern. Until we can figure out what’s going on, you’re going to have to keep a close eye on him.”

Soul lifted his head and tilted it questioningly. _You make it sound like I’m going to go raid a chicken coup or something._ Maka giggled and continued to pet Soul. “Alright, Doc.” The walk back to the cabin was slow and painful. Soul’s entire body ached by the time they reached it, and all he wanted to do was lay in the bed. Lucky for him, Maka had the same idea. “I say it’s nap time.” She plopped down onto the bed, letting out an exasperated sigh. Soul tried to follow suit and jump up, but he couldn’t. Jumping hurt too much.

Maka looked over the side of the bed and smiled apologetically. “Sorry. Didn’t think about that.” She helped him up carefully, and let out a tired laugh. “You definitely could lose some weight.” She dramatically clutched at her back. “I’m getting too old for this.” She laid back down next to him on the bed, slowly smoothing out his hair. “We’re gonna find a way to get you back to normal.” A radiant smile lit up her face. “Maybe you’ll actually like the sun rise after that.”

 _Yeah, right. As if I’d ever get up that early on purpose._ He snorted, drawing out a small chuckle from her. “These last three days have been pretty lonely…” Her eyes became sad. “I miss Crona.” He watched as tears slid down her cheeks. Stein had told him about Crona, and he still couldn’t believe it. _They were just a kid._ The world seemed too cruel in these moments. The kid had just started to grow on him… he felt like he had a family again. _Medusa took it away from me. Again._

She was going to pay for the pain she’d caused, one way or another. If not for him, for Maka. He scooched closer to her and licked her tears away. “Ew, Soul!” At least he got her to laugh a little. “You got slobber all over my face. Again.”


	16. Chapter 16

It had been a few weeks since Medusa had attacked the village. People were finally starting to clean up and fix the damages made. Soul was finally well enough to move around, so Maka decided to bring him with her for a little trip. A few of the tribe’s people in the village wanted to go to the Sacred Springs in the mountains, so the townspeople gave them a wagon and some horses. The journey was significantly shorter than it would’ve been walking, and they managed to make it there before sun down.

The driver stopped the horses and helped them get off the wagon. “You folks have some time, but don’t take too long. We don’t want to be stuck in the mountains in the dark.” They agreed with the driver and quickly headed towards the spring. Some filled their canteens with it, others cleansed their hands and face. Maka and Soul were the last one’s at the spring, the others already on their way back to the wagon.

“Guess we should hurry this along.” Maka filled a bowl with the water and said a blessing to the spirits. She took a sip of the water herself, then dumped the rest on Soul’s head. At first, he wasn’t thrilled to be drenched. However, something else happened. He hunched over and started to change back into a human again. The transformation was more painful than usual because of his wound, but it went by faster. He sat up from the ground and was quickly met by Maka’s arms around his neck. _What the hell just happened?_

“You’re human!” Her eyes were watery as she cupped his jaw, her smile turning into a joyful laugh.

“I-I am.” The fact that he was completely naked didn’t really bother him much, even if they were in the mountains during winter. He pulled her towards him and kissed her soundly. He pulled back and looked her in the eye with a smile. “I’ve been dyin’ to do that for so long.” Her face shifted with the sudden realization that he was naked, and she handed him her vest. “This isn’t really goin’ to cover much, ye know.”

“W-well find a way to make it cover more!” Her cheeks were bright red.

His smug grin didn’t help Maka at all. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”

“Shut up and let’s go!” She began to march down the hill, her cheeks still red. He started to follow behind her, but as he reached the bottom of the hill, he started to turn again. His body shifted back into wolf form, leaving himself, and Maka quite confused.

They returned back to the village and made their way over to Stein’s. _This. This is just cruel._ “Stein!” Maka called out, clearly just as annoyed as Soul. Stein walked into the room and twisted the screw in his head some more.

“What is it, Maka?”

“Soul turned back into a human. But only while we were at the spring.” Stein raised his eyebrow slightly before he began to spin the screw aggressively.

“Hmm. How strange.” He puffed smoke into the air, watching as it swirled and drifted away. “So, he can’t be human unless he’s on sacred grounds. Interesting.” He walked into the other room and returned with a talisman. “Next time you go to the Springs, be sure to bring this with you and dip it in the water. It might help bring his transformation cycle back to normal.” She nodded as she took it, observing its ornate appearance. A sun was in the center with old script carved around it. _It looks similar to my bow._

Soul stretched his neck to have a peek at the talisman. To him, it looked like some old trinket you’d find at a shop. He was definitely skeptical of what it was actually capable of doing. _If this doesn’t work, I’m going to chew on his shoes._

It wasn’t for a few days until they went back up to the Sacred Springs. In the meantime, Soul spent a lot of his energy staring at the talisman. _Can such small object really fix my problem? And if it does, will it make me human permanently?_ The questions dug at the back of his mind constantly. Of course, Maka could see right through him and would always try to reassure him that it would all work out.

 _I hope your right…_ Soul couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his stomach. _But why do I feel like something bad is about to happen?_


	17. Chapter 17

The wagon went back up to the spring, this time carrying Stein and Spirit along with them. Maka was sure to bring clothes for Soul this time, packing a few extra layers in case he wasn't used to being without fur. The ride up the mountain path was bumpier than the last time. Winter decided to have one last storm before it transitioned into Spring, and the wind was especially harsh.

The wagon finally stopped as they reached the spring. Cold air nipped at Maka's nose, forcing her to nuzzle her face into the fur of her coat. The wind was unusually strong as they walked, almost knocking Maka down. They were close enough to the spring now that Soul began to change. He shivered as the wind violently ran against his skin, chilling him to the bone. Maka handed him the clothing, and he was thankful for the extra layers. He quickly pulled on his clothes, not at all comfortable with the way Spirit stared at him like he was devious villain after Maka's heart. _Well, half of that is true._ They made it to the water, and Maka knelt down with the talisman.

She slowly dipped it into the water and pulled it out. Maka's heart sank. The talisman began to rust, deteriorating away in her hands. The water of the spring had turned black.

Maka felt her head swim, and Soul tried to catch her as she collapsed. Stein started laughing like a mad man. He flopped back into the snow, his body twitching as he continued to laugh. Medusa's voice rang in the air. "It's funny what a little bit of my snake venom can do to someone." As if she materialized out of thin air, Medusa stood on the pathway. "I had his mind wrapped around my little finger, and he had no clue." The way she laughed made Maka's skin crawl. "I think now would be a great time to begin the party. You see dear, I've been working on something _riveting_. Believe me, you'll enjoy every minute of it." Medusa proceeded forward, slowly making her way to the spring. "The monsters you call trogs are merely failed projects of mine. _Imperfect specimen_. They're only a stepstool to what I have accomplished." Medusa stopped. "Asura is my greatest feat."

The ground trembled as a large monster hopped down from above. It reeked of rotting flesh. Loose skin hung from its body, its grotesque and unnatural form unnerving. Its mouth was bloody and terrifying. The only thing you could see were its teeth. Spirit spoke up in a solemn tone, "So this is what you do to people. What you turn them into."

"ME? What about your good doctor?" Stein lay still in the snow, his breath shallow. "He was only so easy to control because of how twisted his soul is. He's just as corrupt as me." Spirit stood his ground, not faltering.

"You're right. He's done some horrible things. Horrible things that I helped him do…"

Maka gaped at her father's words. She had heard stories about Stein, but never believed them. The idea that her father helped him do those things made her sick. "Papa?"

"But," his gaze stayed determined, "He didn't experiment on his own child. He hasn't slaughtered hundreds of innocent people for his work. He is much better than you." Medusa stopped smiling.

"I tire of this. Asura, go have your fun." Asura thrust forward swinging his arms at Spirit.

"You just going to lay there, Stein?" he may be a skilled warrior, but Spirit was getting older. He couldn't dodge forever. "Stein!" Maka needed to get to the wagon. She had left her bow in the back of the wagon with her arrows. _Damn it! I let my guard down._ She took the opportunity to run, but Medusa blocked her path.

"I don't know where you think-" A snowball pelted Medusa in the face, and Maka bolted. Soul had managed to spare her a little time, but just like her, he didn't have a weapon. _He isn't going to last long without a weapon. I have to hurry._ Medusa was annoyed. "I'm going to rip you to shreds!" She started chanting, summoning arrows from the shadows. " _Snake, snake, cobra, cobra…"_ The only thing Soul could do at the moment was dodge, narrowly avoiding each attack. If he were a wolf, this would be much easier. _I'm practically helpless._ Just as she was about to send another wave, luck finally joined Soul's side. Coming up the path was BlackStar and Tsubaki.

"Yahoo!"

Medusa snarled. "I see a few brats came to play." She turned towards them, ready to attack, but they had vanished.

"Over here, old lady!" She looked back behind her to see them both next to Soul. "Geez Soul. Guess you really needed our help."

Annoyance seemed to always be a package deal with BlackStar. "Do me a favor and shut the hell up, kid."

"Is that the thanks I get for saving your butt? And after all the work to bring you a sword…" Soul shot up, no longer slouching.

"All right, I'm sorry. Now if ye could hand that over so I don't die, it would be greatly appreciated." BlackStar tossed a short sword from the blacksmith over to him with a smug grin.

"We saw Maka getting her bow from the wagon. She'll be here shortly, but she'll probably miss out on all the fun."

Spirit was still struggling with Asura. The only thing he had on him was his dagger, but that wasn't going to be enough. Stein was still unconscious, and the others were tied up with Medusa. "Guess I'll have to tap into my magic a little bit." Spirit's hands were covered in a black mist. "Sorry in advance. I'm a little rusty." We swung his dagger at Asura, focusing his magic power into the blade. Asura backed away from the swing, but the blade still cut him. Much to Spriti's dismay, the wound sealed itself within a matter of seconds. "This is going to be a long day."

Stein lay I the snow, watching as the snowflakes fell. His brain felt like it had been scrambled. _I was weak._ He kept trying to make sense of what happened. He laid out the events in his head in chronological order, trying to figure out when she could have taken over his mind. _This isn't what you should be paying attention to. Look around you. There's a battle going on._ He heard Spirit call his name again. "Stein, get the hell up already!" He supposed it was time he got his wits back together.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you." He pushed himself up, and calmly strolled over to where Spirit and Asura were. "Sorry, I needed a bit of a break."

"Yeah well, welcome back. It's nice to see you up off your ass." He joined in on the fight, his screw clicking as he twisted it.

"I'm going to need you to keep attacking will I unbind his soul."

"You make it sound easy."

"It's easy enough." From there they were actually able to do damage. Stein would send a shockwave into Asura's soul, and Stein would attack. Again. And again. And again. Asura was weak and tired, unable to move any more. Spirit took the opening, and struck him down. His scream pierced through the air.

Medusa shook her head. "How disappointing. Oh, well. I suppose I will just go ahead with my plans." She jumped over the group, heading to the Sacred Springs. Before they could get to her, she put up a barrier and started a chant. The water began to move, rippling as something emerged from within it. A woman appeared out of the water, her hair jet black and her skin crawling with spiders.

Medusa stepped forward with her hand outstretched. "Welcome back, dear sister." The woman stepped from the water without taking Medusa's hand.

" _Sister_." She scoffed. "You say that as though you didn't betray me." The woman glared down at Medusa, but she wasn't intimidated at all.

"800 years ago, we had a feud. But it was not me who dragged you to the Spirit Realm. That was that damned tribe's fault, Arachne." Soul's neck hair stood on end. He knew that name. The men he had travelled with before told him stories about her. About how she would torture those who forgot to pay their debts to her, or broke their promises. "And now, we have a chance to take the land for ourselves. To spread madness and chaos. To spread fear."

Medusa had Arachne's attention. "What about the tribe?"

"They've been taken care of. Only a handful of them are left." Arachne smiled.

"Delightful." Arachne turned her attention to the others. "Now, who are these brats?"

"Step one to our plan. If we want real power, we're going to need a few souls for immortality." Medusa licked her lips. "And these ones are quite juicy."

Soul caught a glimmer of something in Arachne's eye, watching as her smile twisted into something horrid. "Don't we need a magi to complete the spell?"

"A pretty little blonde one is making her way back up the mountain now. _She'll be quite lovely._ " Soul tensed. _They're going to use Maka's soul?_

"Wouldn't _any_ magic user work?" Arachne was planning something, and it made Soul's stomach churn.

"Yes, I suppose. What is your point?" The sinister grin she wore broadened.

"I think a witch's soul would make my power **infinit** ** _e._** " Arachne moved swiftly, impaling Medusa. "I will never forget what you did to me. You told the tribe where I was. You dug your own grave." She twisted her blade, letting Medusa drop to the ground. "How pathetic." She kicked her body into the black water, and began to chant. She hadn't thought about the barrier. Without Medusa, it disappeared.

Maka ran up the path to see Arachne kill Medusa. Soul saw her and panicked. _Arachne is going to kill her_. With the barrier gone, he had to do something.

Soul tackled Arachne into the spring before she could get to Maka.

"Soul!" Maka ran to the spring to gpull him out, but Stein stopped her.

"That isn't just water. That's a gateway to a place we don't understand. Living being don't belong in the Spirit Realm, Maka. We don't even know if people can survive there." She didn't care. _I have to save him._ She yanked her arm away, and Spirit called after her.

"Maka, don't!" She jumped in.


	18. Chapter 18

It was dark, and the air felt cold. _This isn’t exactly what I thought the Spirit Realm would be like._ The sound of music drifted through the darkness, and she found herself following it. The more she walked, the lighter everything became. Fireflies glowed around her, seeming to appear out of thin air. _No, that isn’t right. They’re coming from up ahead._ She walked faster, and faster until she was running. Her surroundings became clear; she was in a field.

She wandered through the long grass and flowers, following the music as it continued to get louder. She stopped when she reached a blue door. There was no house connected to it, it was just a blue door. Yet, for reason, she had the urge to open it. The atmosphere changed when she stepped through. She was in some sort of large building. _This must be one of those European buildings I’ve read about. They’re incredible._ The building was a sculpture in itself; detailed incisions along marble created shapes and people. Two large black doors stood in front of her. The music played harshly and broken behind the door as if the player were angry.

Maka had heard this kind of music before; it was confusing and she didn’t really get it. An old man had come through a nearby village with a violin. He played in the streets as a crowd of people listened to his sweet melodies. _This is different. There’s more emotion in the person’s music._ Her hands grasped the handles of the doors and pulled.

Inside, was Soul. He was banging on the piano angrily, not paying attention to any of his surroundings. He was up on some sort of stage, but there was no crowd. It was just him and her. She ran down the walkway, calling out to him, but he couldn’t hear her. He only said one thing; _Wes._ Maka walked onto the stage until she was standing behind him. Sitting down next to him on the bench, she still went unnoticed. She lifted her small hand and touched a key on the piano. **_Ding._** Soul’s head snapped up, and he finally looked at her.

“You don’t know how to play.” _He doesn’t have an accent._ She simply nodded. It was as if he had no idea who she was. She was just a stranger who happened to come by. “I’ll show you.” Placing her hand on top of his, he played a short tune. Music drifted throughout the auditorium softly as they played. When they stopped, a sad smile was left on his face. “Sorry, Wes was always better with people. I’m the strange one.” Soul had never talked about Wes before, except in his sleep. He’d always call out to him while some foul dream unfolded in his head. “He and I used to pretend to be explorers when we weren’t in the practice hall. We’d dress up and run around mother’s garden.” He hesitated, “It’s funny. The game and the real thing are completely different. Traveling around the world is glorious until you find yourself in real danger.” A sour laugh danced across his lips. “We were prepared for everything! Storms, pirates, dragons… you name it! Everything but a witch, that is.” He ran his index finger along a key, listening to the sound of it ring in the air when he pressed down. “Everyone died, and I was turned into wolf boy! The spirits said that we were greedy, and that’s why they all died. We had taken too much from the land, and someone had to be punished.” He drew out a long sigh. “Guess it had to be me.”

Maka finally spoke. “I don’t think that’s fair.” His eyes were wide, and staring directly at her. “You already got your punishment when you lost everything.”

“Maybe you're right.” He stood from the bench and closed the piano. “But I’m afraid we don’t get to decide that.”

She hummed the beginning of Soul’s song. “Why not? We’re in the Spirit Realm, aren’t we? Just wish for it.” A heavy chuckle rang from him and his shoulders slouched down.

“I don’t see it being that easy…”

“I dunno. Magic is a funny thing. Maybe the spirits feel that you’ve paid the price a long time ago.”

He stammered. “I-Wait. Do I-?” He looked back to the girl to be met with nothing. _Do I know you?_ A single clap sounded from the audience. Wes was in the front row, giving Soul a standing ovation. “W-Wes?”

Wes placed his hands on the stage and leaned forward. “That was great! Why didn’t you ever show mother one of those pieces?” Soul kept looking down at him in amazement. _You died. How?_ “It was a little eerie for my tastes, but there was so much emotion behind it!” Wes had climbed up onto the stage and was now staring directly in Soul’s face with a goofy smile.

“I-uh” Speech seemed impossible at the moment. Soul threw his arms tightly around his brother, tears welling in his eyes. “I know this isn’t real. It can’t be. You died!”

Wes hugged him back. “What about that girl? Wasn’t she real?” Soul stepped back from the hug and ogled at his brother.

“But you-”

“We’re in a Spirit Realm, Soul. It’s where the dead, and the great Spirits, reside.” Wes began to fidget with his sleeve. “Watching you has been hard. I can’t believe the first thing you did was call poor Maka an idiot. How rude.” _Wes was always better with people._ “Anyway, we should get you out of here.” Wes looked off to something at the side and gently spoke. “We’re ready Crona.”

With wide eyes, Soul turned to see Crona. They stepped forward, their dagger glowing a bright red. They flashed a warm smile and spoke before everything turned white. “Crona, wait!” He reached out, but they were already gone. In front of him was a meadow, where Maka stood waiting.

“Took you long enough. I was beginning to think you wouldn’t remember me.” He took her in; her hair was down and messy, and she only wore simple leather instead of her furs. It took him too long to notice her tears before she tackled him to the ground. “You dumbass! We thought- I thought-” Her voice cracked into a sob. “Why did you do that? We knew nothing about what the Spirit Realm was! You could’ve been trapped here forever!”

He let her rant until she calmed down, finally shushing her. “I wasn’t ‘bout to let ye die. Arachne was goin’ to kill ye.” He helped her up off the ground, taking her hand in his own. “Besides, if anyone should be mad, it should be me. Ye didn’t know anythin’ more about the Spirit Realm than I did, and you followed me anyway.”

She gave a sour laugh. “We really are a strange couple, huh?” He gently rested his hand on her cheek.

“A very strange couple.” Kissing her made his mind spin, in a good way, of course. Her lips were soft and sweet against his rough, chapped ones. Oxygen may be important, but right now the only thing he wanted to breathe in was her. He tangled his hand into her hair, deepening the kiss.

“Mmm… Soul.” She pushed lightly against his chest, wary of his wound. “We need to get back.” He was sad to part with her and began to pout. Yet, he obliged and followed her through the darkness. The Spirit Realm was strange to him. There were no people, no ancient spirits, just a field and some fireflies. So many glowing fireflies.

The black water was thick, and trying to get back to the surface felt like swimming against the current. The air was just as thick in the lungs. Soul burst through first, gasping for breath. He reached down, helping Maka up. Maka took the scoldings, worried hugs, and BlackStar’s punch merrily. Soul was not as happy about the latter but was glad to see everyone alright.

The air felt warmer as they headed down the mountain path. Soul stopped at the end of the path, readying himself to be turned back into a wolf. He stepped forward-

And nothing happened. He looked to Maka in astonishment. “I-I’m human.” Stein cocked his head to the side, turning his screw with a click. Maka ran at him, throwing her arms around his neck as she kissed him. Spirit about had a heart attack.

“Get your filthy hands off my Maka!” Now Soul could see where Maka got the ‘Maka chop’ thing from. Spirit practically scrambled his brains. Of course, Maka wasn’t about to let him get away it.

“Papa…” She growled out his name and slammed her hand down on his head. As the rest unfolded, Stein walked over to Soul and held out his hand to help him up.

“Well, Soul. I think you’ve found your answer. Though I do have to wonder, why did the spirits go back on their word?” Wes and Crona flashed in his mind, their smiles bright and wide.

“I had a few friends vouch for me.”


End file.
